Study reveals the benefits of wheat starch

Published: 24-Aug-2022

Commissioned by Loryma in 2022, the research illustrates how dietary fibres contribute significantly to a healthy lifestyle and general wellbeing

A study has revealed that wheat starch improves digestion in the short term, while helping counteract the long-term effects of various modern-day health problems.

Industrially produced resistant wheat starches such as Lory Starch Elara are only partially digested in the small intestine, if at all, and are therefore hardly absorbed. As a result, they are ideally suited for enriching functional foods in terms of fibre content.

Speaking about the study, Henrik Hetzer, Managing Director of Loryma said: "Awareness of the short- and long-term health effects of dietary fibres is growing among the population. However, it is also important to have a product that does not compromise on quality, taste and processing."

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Hetzer added: "As a specialist in wheat ingredients for many years, we have the expertise for all technical matters. We commissioned the scientific study to gather facts about its added health value and confirm that Lory Starch Elara is indeed processed by the body like dietary fibre, creating end products with added health value."

Stable blood glucose levels prevent insulin peaks, contribute to a prolonged feeling of satiety and thus lower food intake. With Lory Starch Elara, numerous optimised snack products can be created that not only score with an attractive fibre content, but also become crunchier and structurally stable.

The study was commissioned by Loryma in 2022 and was carried out by the ZIEL Institute for Food & Health at the Technical University of Munich. As a result, it gives the GIÄ; (glycaemic index equivalent) for Lory Starch Elara a value of four, which is significantly lower than the comparative value for native wheat starch (50 GIÄ).

However, it is also important to have a product that does not compromise on quality, taste and processing.

The reference is glucose (100 GIÄ). The methodology was adapted according to the glycaemic index (GI). This refers to the influence of digestible carbohydrates on blood glucose levels, whereas resistant starch is largely indigestible and therefore cannot be characterised with a classic GI.

Scientific studies count it as dietary fibre because it is not broken down into sugar in the small intestine. The resistant starch reaches the large intestine almost undigested, where it is fermented3 and broken down by beneficial bacteria of the intestinal flora.

This has a positive effect on the body, because the resulting short-chain fatty acid butyrate (butyric acid) is the most important energy supplier for the intestinal mucosa, protecting against inflammation and promoting a healthy intestinal flora.

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